Well cutting sampler



Jne 16, 1931. n o. HATCHER E1- AL 1,810,827

WELL CUTTING SAMPLER Filed Nov. 18. 1929 Patented June 16, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OSCAR HATCHER AND EARL L. BYERS, F TLSA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR-S TO GYPSY OIL COMPANY, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, A CORPORATION OF OKLAHOMA WELL CUTTING SAMPLER Application filed November 18, 1929. Serial No. 408,054'.

the bottom Aof the well to the surface of the ground, flows to the slush pit through a trough. Heretofore, in order to obtain samples of the cuttings carried in such mud-laden fluid, a box has been attached to the side of the trough and as the stream of mud-laden Huid flows through the trough and over the box, the heavy cuttings settle in the box from which they can subsequently be removed from time to time and sacked and saved for examination. Such an arrangement for obtaining samples of the cuttings has several disadvantages. For instance, the b`ox being made of wood, is easily damaged and, in the arrangement generally used, the box is in a relatively inaccessible position. Again, it is dificult to remove the sample from the box and a slight error on the part of the roustabout may result in a loss of the sample. Furthermore, if the box is notthoroughly cleansed after the removal of each sample, the next succeeding sample may be'contaminated with the cuttings of the preceding sample.

In view of the foregoing, the present invention contemplates a sample device that can be placed close to the well where it can be readily inspected and used. In the present sampler, means are also provided for readily removing cuttings from the sam ler and for e e P flushing the sampler after the removal of each sample, so that one sample cannot be aected in any way by a preceding sample.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construetion and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the sampler in connection with the well casing, derrick Hoor and trough leading to the slush pit;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the casing constituting a sampler or trap in wlilch the sample of cuttings is accumulated; an f Fig. 3 is an end view of the sampler casing.

Referring to Fig.1', reference numeral 10 indicates the usual well casing extending from above the derrick floor 11 down into the well hole 12. At a suitable point there is connected with the well casing 10 a slush pipe 13 through which mud-laden fluid is conducted from said casing to the slush trough 14, leading to the slush pit (not shown).

Disposed at an angle of substantially 45 to the slush pipe 13 is the sampler casing 15, said sampler being connected to pipe 13 by a nipple 16 at a point that Will render the sampler readily accessible for the purpose 'of removing the sample of cuttings therefrom. Interposed between said nipple and casing there is a gate valve 17 whereby How of a portion of mud-laden Huid from a main c conduit or slush pipe 13 into the casing may be cut 0E whenever desired, as, for instance, when a sample of cuts is to be removed from the casing. As shown more particularly in Fig. 2, the casing is of rather large cross section compared to the cross section of nipple 16 and the end of said casing opposite that to which nipple 16 is attached is without an integral end wall, although it isfadapted to be closed by a closure plate 18 secured on the end of the casing by wing nuts 19., As shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, this closure 19 consists of a metal plate lined with a leather washer 20,4 the plate being pivoted on the bolt 21 for one of the wing nuts 19, while the handle portion 22 of the plate has -aY recess 23 therein for receiving the bolt 24 for the other wing nut 19.

Projecting at' an angle of -approximately 45 froin the side of casing 15and adjacent the closed end of the sampler there is a threaded outlet pipe 25 which communicates by piping 26 with the slush trough'14. l Procasing through said pipe 28 and jet 27 being controlled by a valve 29 in pipe 28.

With this arrangement, valve 29 being closed and valve 17 being opened, a portion of the mud-laden fluid flowing through the main conduit or slush pipe 13 is diverted through nipple 16 into the sample casing or trap in which the heavier cuttings will settle and accumulate while the mud-laden fluid escapes through the outlet 25 from whence it is conducted by pipe 26 to the slush trough 14. `When it is desired to remove a sample of cuttings from the casing 15 valve 17 is' closed and lthe end plate or closure 18 removed by loosening the wing nut on boltv 23 and turning the plate on bolt 21. After the removal of the sample from said casing, the lattermay be flushed and cleansed by opening valve 29. After cleaning, valve 29 is closed, end plate 18 is restored to its closed position, and valve 17 is again opened to permit the accumulation of another sample in the casing. From this it will be seen that the sample is readily obtained or removed from the casing 15, due to the accessibility of said casing and as the sample cuttings can be removed from the casing directly into the sack into which they are to be stored, there is little likelihood of the sample being lost. Furthermore, the sampler casing can be easily and quickly cleansed by the stream of ushing water through jet 27 so that there is no danger of any sample being contaminated by the cuttings of a previously taken sample.

What we claim is:

1. In apparatus for obtaining samples of cuttings in mud laden fluids used in rotary well drilling, the combination of a main conduit for the fluid, a casing forming a trap, said casing having an unrestricted opening at one end, a removable closure for said o ening, connections for delivering flushing uid to the casing, and a branch pipe connecting said conduit and casing.

2. In apparatus for obtaining samples of cuttings in mud laden fluids used in rotary well drilling, the combination of a main conduit for the fluid, a casing forming a trap for accumulating the cuttings, a branch pipe connecting said conduit and casing, the casing being attached to and suspended from the conduit by said branch pipe, and an outlet pipe for said casing.

3. 1n apparatus for obtaining samples of cuttings in mud laden fluids used in rotary well drilling, the combination of a main conduit for the fluid, an elongated casing forminga trap inclined with respect to said conduit, a branch pipe connecting said conduit with the higher end of said casing, the lower- `end of the casing being open a removable closure for said lower open end, an outlet adjacent said lower end, and a connection for flushing Huid communicating with the higher end of said casing. A

4. An apparatus for obtaining samples of cuttings in mud laden liuids used in rotary well drilling, the combination of a main conduit for the fluid, an elongated casing forming a trap inclined with respect to said conduit, a branch pipe connecting said conduit with the higher end of said casing, the lower end ofthe casing being open, a removable closure for said lower open end, a cut-off valve in said branch pipe, an outlet in the upper surface of the casing adjacent said lower end, and a connection for a flushing fluid communicating with the upper surface of said ycasing adjacent the higher end thereof.

5. An apparatus for obtaining samples of cuttings in mud-laden fluids used in rotary well drilling, comprising Va conduit for the fluid connected to the outlet from the well casing and having an opening in its under side, a tubular member attached to said conduit about its opening and extending downwardly therefrom, and a closure on the lower end of said tubular member.

6.' An apparatus for obtaining samples of cuttings in mud-laden fluids used in rotary well drilling, comprising an inclined conduit for the fluid connected at its upper end to the outlet from the well casing and having an opening in its under side, a tubular member attached to said conduit about its opening and extending in the same general direction as the conduit, but downwardly therefrom,

and a closure on the lower end of said tubular member. v

7. An apparatus for obtaining samples of cuttings in mud-laden fluids used in rotary well drilling, comprising an inclined conduit for the fluid connected at its upper end to the outlet from the well casing and having an opening in its under side, a tubular member attached to said conduit about its opening and extending in the same general direction as the conduit, but downwardly therefrom, a removable closure on the lower end of said tubular member, and means adjacent the conduit for cutting off flow of said fluid into said tubular member.

8. An apparatus for obtaining samples of cuttings in mud-laden fluids used in rotary well drilling, comprising a conduit for the fluid connected to the outlet from the well casing and having an openin in its under side, a tubular member attache to said casing about its opening and extending downwardly therefrom, a removable closure on the lower end of said tubular member, a valve in the upper portion of said tubular member for cutting olf flow of mud-laden fluid into said tubular member, and means for injecting flushing fluid into said tubular member. v

9. An apparatus for obtaining samples of cuttings in mud-laden fluids used in rotary well drilling, comprising an inclined conduit for the uid connected at its upper end to the outlet from thewell casing and having an opening in its under side, a. tubular member attached to said conduit about its opening and extending in the same general direction as the main line of iiow but downwardly therefrom, a. removable closure on the lower end of said tubular member a. valve in the 10 upper portion of said tubuar member for cutting 0E flow of mud-laden fluid into said tubular member, and means for injecting flushing luid into scid tubular member.

OSCAR HATCHIER.

-15 E. L. BYERS. 

